1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to systems for removably attaching a dental model to an articulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
In order to prepare dental plates, or inlays, crowns and bridges, die-stone or plaster dental casts are made of and then fixed in various ways in so-called articulators for further treatment. Articulators are well known in the dental industry as mechanical devices that simulate the movement of a human jaw and most often include an upper frame member spaced opposite a lower frame member, these members connected to each other for relative hinging and sliding movement. Upper and lower dental models are mounted to the upper and lower frame members respectively so that the dental models are held in relative alignment to allow precise dental measurements and relationships to be determined during the fabrication of the relevant dental prosthesis.
In earlier dental articulator systems it was required to perform the necessary processing with the dental casts remaining attached to the articulator. Because of limitations attendant to such systems, and the need to shorten dental appliance processing time, efforts ensued to develop techniques by which dental models could be removable, retractable and realignable upon an articulator. Various articulators are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,600,385, 4,923,398, and 4,245,987. The systems shown therein as well as the most widely used articulator systems can be generally characterized by the dental casts being mounted to the articulator frame by means of a mounting plate that supports a cast on one of its sides, and which mounting plate is removably attachable to the respective frame members by use of a threaded fastener. The mounting plate used is generally a flat disc-like member having a threaded hole to receive the threaded portion of a knob-equipped mounting screw which extends through the frame member to secure the mounting plate. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,398 a dental cast is removable from the articulator frame so that it can be worked upon effectively at other work stations and then reconnected, as required, to the articulator. In spite of the advances represented by these various prior art systems there remains a need for improvements beyond the conventional base plate and screw arrangement represented therein.